Watford v Newcastle - Changing the Club's Fortunes

Let’s face it, this season has been painful and quite frankly, diabolical. Saturday’s game against Watford could be the turning point the Magpies need. The fans are craving for some silverware, but winning the FA Cup this season is a tall order. However, a good cup run would mean some faith being reinstalled back into this struggling Newcastle side. The last time Newcastle United won the FA Cup was in 1955, when George Hannah sealed a 3-1 win against Manchester City. The last time Newcastle United won a major trophy was the old, yet notable, Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1969. Now, you can’t accuse a Newcastle United fan of being impatient or delusional – we know what the deal is.

With the club entangled in yet another relegation battle, a scrappy 1-0 win at the Vicarage could be just the tonic Steve McClaren and his side need. It’ll be dangerous to think Watford may take their foot off the gas in the FA Cup; turning up in Hertfordshire with a complacent attitude will prove costly. Considering the current form Watford are in, and the dangerous duo of Troy Deeney and Odion Ighalo, the Hornets will be confident of a win.

The question most Geordies will be asking themselves is: “How do we contain Deeney and Ighalo?” The last time the two sides met was at St. James’ Park, where Deeney caused problems and Ighalo bagged a brace as Watford silenced the home crowd in a deserved 2-1 win. The partnership of Coloccini and Mbemba has not been convincing, but the latter is now proving to be a fine purchase and is becoming a fans’ favourite. The lacklustre performance of Fabricio Coloccini for the past two years has drawn heavy criticism from both pundits and fans. It’ll be fair to say that the Newcastle faithful won’t be too disconsolate if the Argentinian took a viewing from the dugout.

Young, fresh and hungry. Swiss defender Kevin Mbabu made an impressive senior debut for Newcastle against Chelsea this season, despite being played out of position. The centre-back is a great shout in partnering Mbemba on Saturday. Mbabu has shown he has the pace and strength to contend with the challenges of football at the highest level. He may be in the embryonic stages of his Newcastle career, but the maturity and assertive performances he has shown warrants a start in his favoured position. There will be some calls for Jamaal Lascelles to start. Having faced Deeney and Ighalo in the Championship with Nottingham Forest, the youngster is certainly cut out for the physicality of the Premier League, and will be sure to win any aerial battles.

Barring the West Brom game, Newcastle created a hatful of chances against Aston Villa, Everton and particularly Arsenal. There is optimism that there will still be chances for the goal-shy visitors again on Saturday, but taking those chances has been another major issue. McClaren will be eager for his strike duo of Pérez and Mitrović to start gaining some confidence in front of goal; do not be surprised if the former England manager opts to go with the same strike partnership Newcastle have had in their past three games.

A win – regardless of how it comes – will be huge for Newcastle United. It’ll give the players and staff another platform to build on, and it’ll help ease the frustration and anger of this season’s last cup-tie: a 1-0 home defeat against Sheffield Wednesday reserves in the League Cup. It’s still very raw in the minds for many of us of what happened this time last year in the FA Cup. A weakened Newcastle United side, spearheaded by John Carver, visited struggling Leicester City at the King Power stadium. A solitary goal by Leandro Ulloa was enough to eliminate Newcastle from the 3rd round of the FA Cup; it was the third consecutive time the Toon Army were knocked out in the 3rd round of this competition. In fact, the last time the club managed to get beyond the 4th round of the FA Cup was in 2005/06 – 10 years ago.

Steve McClaren must not make the one mistake John Carver made, and elect to field a reserve team. The backlash will be huge if a weakened side loses to Watford, it’ll also make his position as Newcastle’s Head Coach even more strenuous. After Ashley’s promise of taking cup competitions more “seriously,” the Geordie faithful will be expectant, and if an ounce of apathy and insincerity is on display, expect hostility from the Vicarage Road Stand (away end) and further detachment between the fans and the club.

The progression to the 4th round will enable McClaren and his men to carry on the momentum against an under-pressure Louis Van Gaal and Manchester United. The team needs all the confidence it can get, and a win this Saturday will ensure the Magpies have something to shout about heading into the next set of Premier League fixtures.